Dear Council Members, I live in Arlington, VA and was shocked to learn recently that Metro is now conducting warrantless, suspicionless searches of Metro riders at Metro stops throughout the region. This is unconstitutional and wrong. It is a violation of our rights as citizens. It will not effectively combat the threat of terrorism. I will not ride metro again until these unconstitutional searches are stopped. The whole purpose of our U.S. Constitution is to protect us from arbitrary government searches of our persons, papers, and effects. Picking every third person, or every tenth person who enters a Metro station and subjecting that person to a government “swab down” or search is completely arbitrary and wrong. “Profiling” people based on their skin color, attire, etc. would also be illegal, unconstitutional, and wrong. The fact is that we as citizens have the right to go about our affairs on Metro without arbitrary, illegal interference from Metro police, or any other law enforcement agency. You will not gain this former-Metro customer back unless you stop these searches immediately. Sincerely, [BP] Arlington, VA